1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy water bomb devices and, more particularly, such toy devices which release an explosive water burst upon impact or based on time delay, shortly after impact. It relies upon a spring loaded timing mechanism and an upper portion and lower portion of a main housing which cooperate so as to simultaneously shut off a valve and set a spring and timing mechanism when rotated relative to one another by a user.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Water guns and water toys have been popular with children for decades. The following patents are representative of toys and other devices which utilize bladders for containing and subsequently expelling water or involve water bomb type toys:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,256 to Lee et al. describes a thrown water propelling and dispensing toy. The thrown toy has a water tank with valves which are opened by centrifugal force. When thrown, the toy is designed to whirl so that the centrifugal force opens a valve and water is dispersed out the valves while the toy is in flight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,847 to Rudell et al. describes a timed water release toy. There is disclosed a ball having a foraminous outer shell with an inner membrane which forms an interior closure within the outer shell and with a timer and a release mechanism operative to open the inner membrane and release its contents after the time on the timer expires. The contents spill through the foraminous outer shell, wetting the player who is handling or catching the ball at the moment of release. The timer is activated and the ball is used in a game in which it is tossed between participants who seek to avoid becoming wet when the timer releases the water from the interior closure of the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,838 to Rudell et al. describes a timed water release toy. There is disclosed a ball having a foraminous outer shell with an inner membrane which forms an interior closure within the outer shell and with a timer and a release mechanism operative to open the inner membrane and release its contents after the time on the timer expires. The contents spill through the foraminous outer shell, wetting the player who is handling or catching the ball at the moment of release. The timer is activated and the ball is used in a game in which it is tossed between participants who seek to avoid becoming wet when the timer releases the water from the interior closure of the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,480 to Shindo describes a long range trigger-actuated squirt gun. The squirt gun includes a hollow housing in the form of a gun with a liquid dispensing assembly within the housing. The liquid dispensing assembly includes a rubber tube, expandable upon being filled with liquid, which is connected to a rigid tube with a nozzle at one end, and will dispense liquid from the rubber tube through the nozzle. A pivotable trigger is mounted with one end located to squeeze the rubber tube against the housing. A rigid coil around the rubber tube between the trigger and rigid tube restrains the rubber tube from expansion for the length of the coil. An adapter is provided which is threadable on a faucet, for filling the rubber tube in the squirt gun with water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,239 to Salmon et al. describes a liquid projecting device. The device uses an elastic tubular bladder for receiving liquid which is expandable radially generally spherically at a local segment until a fully-expanded cross-section is achieved at which time the expanded region begins to grow axially, thereby maintaining a relatively constant pressure independent of bladder volume. The device is provided with a nozzle and a valve for controlling and directing the flow of the projected liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,830 to Werding describes an appliance for discharging a non-compressible liquid, creamy or pasty product under pressure. The container of rigid material comprises an appliance which employs the contractional force of an expanded rubber hose and an expanded product container for the discharge of a medium stored therein. A hollow body of elastic material located in the axis of a product container is provided with a valve at one end through which it is inflated. The shape of the inner walls of the rigid container limits a radial, diagonal-radial and axial expansion of the appliance in a predetermined ratio, whereby the medium acts upon the inflated hollow body in such a way that the volume of the latter decreases, whereby its inner pressure increases and gives it a tendency to expand. If the squeezing pressure exerted by the rubber hose and the product container upon the medium decreases, the hollow body can expand accordingly and thus compensate the loss of contraction pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,460 to Paranay et al. describes a water gun. The novel water gun is disclosed herein having a body formed with a central bore opening at its opposite ends to provide a discharge nozzle at one end of the body and a storage compartment or reservoir end at the opposite end of the body. The storage compartment end is adapted to releasably hold the end of an inflatable member which when loaded with water under pressure, expands so as to stretch the membrane of the inflatable storage compartment. Upon termination of the loading pressure, the inflatable member collapses under its own elasticity to discharge the stored water via the nozzle end of the body. A clamping device is employed for detachably connecting the inflatable storage compartment to its respective end of the body and a trigger mechanism may be employed for selectively releasing the pressurized water within the storage compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,460 to Kraft describes a hollow water-filled game toy. The hollow body is provided having two complementary parts releasably joined about interfitting rim portions. When the parts are joined, the hollow body may be compressed to partially deform a portion of the rim structure into an opening thereby allowing the filling of water into the body interior. After deformation the parts resume their original shape. An effective hermetic seal to retain the water within the interior is formed by squeezing the body and purging air through the vents in the rim portions. The water-filled body may then be thrown against a stationary object whereby the force of impact will release the seal and allow the water to become suddenly released causing a splashing action. The complementary hollow parts may be subsequently rejoined and refilled with water to repeat the throwing and splashing action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,559 to Barnby describes a water squirt toy and fill valve combination. The water squirt toy apparatus includes a combination of a water squirt toy and a special filling valve which function together cooperatively. The water squirt toy includes a resiliently expansible tubular member serving as a water reservoir and encased within a rigid tubular support member, and a manually operated, lever-type normally closed valve mechanism operatively associated with the expansible member for permitting or preventing fluid discharge therefrom by compressing or pinching the same. The forward end of the expansible member is fixedly, but removably, secured to a discharge opening. The filling valve is particularly structured for fluidically mating with a conventional hose bib or hose as well as with the discharge opening in order to permit easy and rapid filling and refilling of the expansible member with water. The discharge opening may also mate directly with the hose bib or hose without the special valve. An injector is also provided for operative connection to the filling valve for injecting chemicals into the water supply whereby the discharged streams will coalesce and exhibit reduced separation so as to be discharged over significantly greater distances; and amusement apparatus which is particularly adaptable for use with the water squirt toy is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,539 to Candido Jacuzzi describes a liquid dispensing and metering assembly. The liquid dispensing and metering assembly in which an expansible receptacle of a material adapted to maintain constant pressure characteristics over a substantial change in volume of liquid content of such receptacle, discharges through a slow rate metering-element to provide a uniform discharge flow at a low constant pressure.